The Somali capital Mogadishu, December 1969

Since this picture was taken, Somalia has experienced almost continual conflict and insecurity. Here, we chart a brief history of the country. The story begins in 1950, when Italian Somaliland (southern Somalia) became a UN trust territory under Italian administration. Renamed Somalia six years later, the country was granted internal autonomy and subsequently held its first elections, won by the Somali Youth League. In July 1960, both British and Italian Somaliland were granted independence, uniting to form the independent Republic of Somalia. Aden Abdullah Osman Daar became the first president, but the new country's borders were not clearly defined, and there were border skirmishes and hostilities with Kenya and Ethiopia throughout the 1960s

Somalian prime minister Abdurashid Ali Shermarke, shown on the right, with the Somalian president Aden Abdullah Osman Daar (L). In 1967, the president was defeated in elections by his former prime minister, Abdirashid Ali ShermarkePhotograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

On 15 October 1969, President Shermarke was assassinated by a member of his own police force. Mohamed Siad Barre, pictured, seized power in the subsequent coup, and in 1970 declared Somalia a socialist state, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and subjecting the country to his ideology of 'scientific socialism'

In 1974, Somalia joined the Arab League. In 1977-78, Somali forces invaded the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, an area inhabited by Somalis that had been the subject of border hostilities in the 1960s. The Somali troops were forced out by the Soviets and Cubans, prompting Barre to expel his Soviet advisers and strengthen ties with the US. Somalia and Ethiopia signed a peace accord in 1988

In 1991, Barre was forced out of office. The collapse of government led to ongoing feudal struggles and civil war, resulting in the arrival of a UN peacekeeping mission, which operated in Somalia between 1992 and 1995

The feudal struggles and civil discord that followed the failure of Barre's administration led to a serious humanitarian crisis in Somalia, prompting action from the international community. Here, a mother mourns the death of her son

In 1992, the US military arrived in Somalia. Operation Restore Hope involved protecting food packages from warlords. The following year, Somali rebels shot down two US helicopters, leading to a battle in which hundreds of Somali citizens were killed

On 24 September 2001, the UN announced the withdrawal of all its international staff from Somalia, saying it was no longer able to guarantee their safety. The following year, the US announced increased military operations in the country, which it suspected of being an al-Qaida refuge

On 10 October 2004, the transitional federal government was inaugurated in Kenya, with Abdullahi Yusuf elected president. It was the 14th attempt to restore central government since 1991. Yusuf called on the international community 'to stand by us and help us disarm our militias'. In 2005, the transitional government returned from Kenya to Somalia, but divisions remained. Rebels began to hijack food shipments off the coast, leading to the suspension of several aid programmes. On 30 May, rival factions battled for control of Baidoa in south-west Somalia, where Yusuf planned to establish a temporary capital. In November, gunmen attempted to assassinate interim prime minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, attacking his convoy in Mogadishu. In 2006, Mogadishu experienced the worst violence in more than a decade as fierce fighting broke out between rival militias. On 26 February 2006, the transitional government met for the first time on home soil, in Baidoa

In March 2006, the UN issued an urgent plea for aid as more than 2 million people faced drought. In May, the British international development secretary, Hilary Benn, visited the country, pledging £8m in aid and £1.5m 'to support the functioning of the parliament and ministers'

In June 2006, the Islamic Courts Union, a militia group, took control of the capital, promising to bring order and an Islamic state. A ceasefire was agreed with the interim government, but quickly broke down. Mogadishu’s airport and seaports reopened after 11 years. In July, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia to oppose the Islamic militia. On 18 September 2006, President Yusuf escaped an assassination attempt when a suicide car bomb exploded outside parliament. He blamed al-Qaida. The same month, the Islamic Courts Union and the government attempted peace talks in Karthoum, Sudan. On 9 October 2006, Islamic militia leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed declared a jihad against Ethiopia for supporting the interim government. Fierce fighting ensued between the two sides, prompting thousands of Somalis to flee the country. On 24 December 2006, Ethiopia admitted it was involved in fighting against the Islamic Courts Union

The same month, a UN security council resolution declared that no neighbouring states should send their forces into Somalia and that only African Union peacekeepers should be involved. The resolution was ignored by Ethiopia, which sent the Islamists into retreat. On 27 December 2006, Ethiopia was urged to withdraw by the African Union and the Arab League. The next day, Mogadishu was recaptured by the government with the help of Ethiopian troops. In January 2007, the transitional government regained control, with President Yusuf entering Mogadishu for the first time since becoming president

In February 2007, the UN authorised an African Union peacekeeping mission. In June, the US carried out air strikes, the first known American direct military intervention since 1993, targeting al-Qaida figures in southern Somalia. The next month, Islamist leaders boycotted a national reconciliation conference in Mogadishu. The Ethiopian prime minister promised not to withdraw troops until the 'jihadists' were defeated. Ethiopian, Somali and Islamist forces were accused of war crimes by Human Rights Watch, which claimed the UN security council was indifferent to the issue. In June, the government and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia signed a three-month ceasefire pact. This was rejected by Islamist leader Hassan Dahir Aweys, who wanted all foreign troops out first. In July, gunmen killed the head of the UN Development Programme in Somalia, Osman Ali Ahmed. Prime minister Ghedi resigned in October, and was replaced the following month by Nur Hassan HusseinPhotograph: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images

In April 2008, the EU appealed for more help from the international community to deal with the piracy problem along the coast. As the issue became more pressing, the UN security council voted in May to allow other countries’ warships to patrol Somalia’s territorial waters. In September, the US and other countries sent navy ships to Somalia after a Ukrainian ship was seized by pirates. In October, Nato agreed to send a naval force to the region by the end of the year. In November, pirates demanded a $25m ransom for a Saudi supertanker. In April the following year, French commandos carried out a sea rescue of a French family held hostage for a week by Somali pirates. One hostage was killed during the operation. In November 2009, British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped by Somali pirates. They were eventually freed in November 2010

In December, Ethiopia said it would withdraw its troops, which it did the following month. President Yusuf resigned after his prime minister, whom he had tried to sack for attempting to bring moderate Islamists into the government, received a vote of confidence. In January 2009, former ICU co-leader, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, became president. Government and African Union peacekeepers continued to be attacked by Islamist insurgents, who deployed suicide bombers. In February 2010, al-Shabaab made a formal declaration of its alliance with al-Qaida

By 2008, 3.5 million Somalis were affected by severe food shortages. In March 2010, a leaked UN security council report claimed that corrupt contractors and militants were taking up to 50% of food aid before it reached people in need. As October-December rains failed, concerns about the potential for major food insecurities in Somalia began to surface. The UN and aid agencies warned they were seeing more cases of malnutrition in parts of the country as a result of the drought. In February 2011, the Somalia parliament voted to extend its term for three years

In July 2011, the UN declared famine in south Somalia and al-Shabaab allowed foreign aid agencies access to some areas. In August, al-Shabaab retreated from Mogadishu. In October, following attacks by suspected al-Shabaab insurgents in Kenyan resorts, Kenyan troops entered Somalia. More than 100 people were killed in a Mogadishu suicide bomb attack. The following month, al-Shabaab militants who control areas of south and central Somalia announced they were banning 16 aid agencies from the region. These areas were hardest hit by the famine. In December, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon flew to Mogadishu

The Somali capital Mogadishu, August 2011

In January 2012, al-Shabaab banned the Red Cross from operating in areas under its control. A month later, al-Shabaab officially merged with al-Qaida. The UN declared an end to the famine in Somalia, but warned the country would need continued humanitarian support if the 'fragile' gains were not to be lost. On 23 February, foreign ministers from around the world, including the president and prime minister of Somalia, met for a high-level conference in London to discuss the country’s future. Civil society groups expressed concern that humanitarian issues would be left off the agenda